Karontha: 3rd victim cremated; few Arya Samajis continue stir

After followers of the Arya Samaj called off their agitation at Karontha village of the district on Wednesday, a few of them continued to protest in fields, lifting the blockade from the Jhajjar-Rohtak road on Thursday.

Police remained on toes to control the protesters who had gathered outside the mortuary at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) to take the body of the third clash victim, identified as Udayveer, to the village.

It may be noted that the protesters had blocked the Jhajjar-Rohtak road for three days by placing the body of clash victim Promila Devi, a resident of Madina village married at Karontha village, before finally cremating it on Wednesday evening.

Sumit Kumar, deputy superintendent of police (DSP), said: "A few people were trying to reignite the agitation, which had been put off on Wednesday, by taking Udyaveer's body to Karontha village, but the police presence thwarted their plans."

Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stood guard outside the Karontha-based Satlok Ashram after supporters of Sant Rampal vacated it on Wednesday when the district administration invoked Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

A faction of Arya Samajis, who shifted their protest from the Jhajjar-Rohtak road to nearby fields, said they had pledged to continue the dharna till the Satlok Ashram was razed to the ground.

Swami Brahmanand, a leader of extremist Arya Samaj, said: "Though supporters of Rampal have been shifted from Karontha, we will not budge till every brick of the self-styled godman's ashram is removed from the village."

On Sunday's firing, he said: "The inmates of Satlok Ashram were carrying firearms and despite knowing everything the district administration let them go without inspecting their belongings."